Sources from Shillong stated that thirteen miners, who were trapped inside a coal pit filled with gallons of water in Meghalayas East Jaintia Hills district, were yet to be reached or rescued, district police chief said on Friday. Meanwhile the officials had already said their chances of survival were bleak. Sylvester Nongtnger, the district police chief of East Jaintia Hills told "We are yet to recover the dead bodies from the pit".
He said "The rescue operation is still on in full swing where the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been pressed into service to carry out the rescue operation". Furthermore as per report the accident inside the coal pit on Thursday was of significance, especially because the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered an interim ban on "rat-hole" coal mining in the state from April 17, 2014.
The police official said "It appeared the miners resumed mining coal three to four days ago. Our first step is to rescue those people trapped inside the pit. We are pumping the water out of the pit with the help of generators but the water level has not receded". Moreover Nongtnger had made it clear that the chances of survival of the miners were very bleak. He told "Efforts are on to identify the coal mine owner. We have already registered a case against the owner".
